Merch profit for a small business comes down to three numbers: the base price the business pays, the retail price it charges, and how many pieces sell in a month. None of those numbers require guesswork. The base prices are fixed and published, the retail price is fully up to the business owner, and the sales volume scales with how visible the shop is to staff and customers. Here is the math laid out with real catalog numbers.
Every merch dollar for a small business traces back to:
Margin per piece equals retail minus base price. Monthly profit equals margin per piece times volume.
| Product | VIP base price | Typical retail | Margin per item |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cotton tee | $19.88 | $28 to $32 | $8 to $12 |
| Polo shirt | $34.88 | $48 to $55 | $13 to $20 |
| Comfort Soft Hoodie | $36.88 | $52 to $60 | $15 to $23 |
| Embroidered hat | $29.86 | $38 to $45 | $8 to $15 |
Default recommended profit is $10 per item, but most businesses charge more on hoodies and joggers where the perceived value is higher.
Bear Grips Pro Shops: Custom Apparel for Your Team. No Minimums. Free Shipping.| Monthly volume | Average margin | Monthly profit | Annual profit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 items | $12 | $120 | $1,440 |
| 50 items | $12 | $600 | $7,200 |
| 150 items | $13 | $1,950 | $23,400 |
These figures assume no ad spend, just staff wearing the shop and customers seeing it on-site. A business running seasonal drops or event-based sales spikes will beat these baselines.
The Self-Service VIP plan costs $59 a month but saves $4 to $11 per item versus the Free plan's base price. At an average $6 per-item savings, a business needs to sell about 10 items a month just to cover the plan fee from the base-price savings alone, before counting the actual retail margin on top. Businesses moving more than 15 to 20 items a month typically come out ahead on VIP even before factoring in the larger catalog. See the full cost breakdown for the plan comparison.
Every signup, free or paid, also gets an affiliate link. Referring another vendor pays 10% of that vendor's subscription forever, plus $1 for every unit that vendor sells. Payouts run bi-weekly. A business that refers two or three other local businesses into the platform adds a second, passive revenue line on top of its own merch profit.
Set your own retail prices and keep the margin on every sale. No inventory, no minimum, free to start.
Start FreeThe platform recommends a default profit of $10 per item, though the business sets its own retail price and can charge more or less.
No. The business keeps everything charged above the fixed base price for that product and plan tier.
Affiliate commissions and unit bonuses pay out on a bi-weekly cycle.
Yes, at any time. There are no restrictions on retail pricing changes.
Bear Grips Pro Shops